“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28. This is the postcard stuck on my office wall and it is great reminder I am part of an amazing team here at CFL, working together following in the teachings of Jesus for His purpose.
I have been in HR for the last 5 years but this April I will have worked at Caring For Life for the last 18 years. As the HR Manager my role ensures that each staff member can navigate their way through their job from an employment angle. When you look closely at the mechanics of a “job” it is made up of so many different things. From recruitment and appointing, Visas and employee benefits, payroll, holiday, sickness, policies and training, legal requirements, and staff wellbeing to name just the basics; the life of an employee covers a whole host of requirements and that’s before you do your job! My role is to facilitate and ensure that all these areas are up to date and running smoothly. It’s a varied and busy role and thankfully no day is the same! Covid over last 2 years has had a massive impact on my day-to-day work. My daily reading always involves the .gov website and my knowledge of protocols , requirements and guidance is never complete as the changes for us as an organisation since March 2020 have been constant and have changed within the day on many an occasion.
My challenges right now are filling several vacancies here at the farm and within our supported homes. We are looking for people who love the Lord, who are wanting to work in full time Christian ministry having recognised a call to work and witness to those who are vulnerable, hurting, disadvantaged, and lost. Every month, there is a recruitment section in our bulletin. Please do read it and pray for those vacancies. If you know people that the roles might suit, then please do point them to our website to make an enquiry.
HR in the secular world can mean the scary people that if you are called by them, it can only mean one thing that you’ve done something wrong. I see HR very differently at CFL and I hope and pray the staff team do too! My aim is to be a support to the staff team, to enable them to get with on with what they have been charged to do. My aim is to make their working life easier, to support them and to enable them to follow the aims of CFL, helping them to lead people to Christ Jesus.
Our human resources are not sufficient to do the job we have each been called to fulfil at Caring For Life, it is only His grace that we are able to work for His glory. My prayer each day is that the work I do brings glory to God and enables those on the frontline to focus on that amazing task and challenge laid before them.
Buffy